


August 2015 Prompt Fills

by cheinsaw



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Senki Zesshou Symphogear, Touhou Project
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 20:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4578846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheinsaw/pseuds/cheinsaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>fills from this prompt list: http://cheinsaw.tumblr.com/post/125517540306</p><p>1. Symphogear | Tsubasa/Kanade - Hold My Hand<br/>2. Love Live | Hanayo/Rin - Sports<br/>3. Love Live | Nico, Rin, & Hanayo - Flowers<br/>4. Love Live | Nozomi/Eli - Fairy Tale<br/>5. Touhou | Reisen/Youmu - Keeping a Secret<br/>6. Touhou | Eirin & Kaguya - Precious Treasure<br/>7. Touhou | Eiki/Komachi - Eyes<br/>8. Touhou | Satori & Okuu - Words<br/>9. Touhou | Meiling & Sakuya - Keeping a Secret</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Zwei Wing - Hold My Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for zweiwings on tumblr

“You’re on in two minutes!”

Upon hearing the remaining time left before the show, Tsubasa cringes and curls herself into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. She’s not ready. That’s all there is to it, she’s practiced and practiced and she’s  _still_  not ready.

“You heard ‘em,” Kanade says, the backstage lights bouncing off the sequins on her dress whenever she moves. “C'mon! Up.”

Tsubasa looks up at Kanade, standing so tall. “I can’t do it,” she says, her voice cracking.

“Huh? Are you scared?” Tsubasa nods, biting her lip and hating the knots tied in her stomach. Kanade kneels down to Tsubasa’s level on the floor. “Hey, no, it’s gonna be okay. It’s just like we practiced, y'know?”

“But there’s so many people,” Tsubasa whispers.

“Yeah, and they all came just to hear you sing!”

Tsubasa moans sadly, burying her face in her hands.

“Ah, shit. It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m here. I’m gonna be with you the whole time.” Kanade reaches out to rub Tsubasa’s shoulders, her fingers pressing firmly against the tense muscles there. “Tell you what. You don’t have to look out at the audience, okay? Pretend nobody’s there. It’ll just be you and me, singing together. Does that work?”

“O… Okay,” Tsubasa says.

“D'you wanna hold hands?”

“Yeah.” At least, that’s the one thing Tsubasa’s sure of. Kanade’s hands are bigger than hers, her palms tough from years of work. Her fingers lace into Tsubasa’s, fitting together as if they were never meant to be apart.

“C'mon, then. You ready?” Kanade’s smiling, her eyes warm and inviting.

“Mmhm.” Tsubasa lets Kanade help her up, their hands clasped tight as they walk out onto the stage.

Kanade doesn’t let go of her hand all night. And together, with her, Tsubasa finally feels so strong.


	2. Hanayo/Rin - Sports

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for (jesus, do i really have to type this) girlmeat-connoisseur on tumblr

Hanayo’s never sure how she lets Rin talk her into things like this. Logically, if she’d been told she was going to spend her Saturday at a batting cage, she’d have thought it was a mistake. But here she is, with a bulky helmet positioned on her head, staring down an unforgiving pitching machine.

“What if it hits me?” Hanayo squeaks.

“It won’t hit you!” Rin calls from the other side of the netting. “Rin promises.”

Rin has never broken a promise, but that doesn’t stop Hanayo from worrying. She squeezes her eyes shut tight and does a practice swing, nearly falling over into the dirt.

“Good job! Now just keep your feet on the ground.” Rin claps her hands together. “You can start the machine whenever, okay?”

“Okay…” Hanayo bites her lip, holding her breath as she pushes her token into its slot. The machine in front of her whirs to life, spitting out a softball that whizzes right by Hanayo’s head before she can process what’s happening. It hits the netting behind her and rolls down by her feet, making a cloud of dust around her legs.

“Swing the bat!” Rin yells encouragingly.

Easier said than done. The second ball misses her bat entirely, despite her attempts at making contact. So does the third. By the fourth she’s starting to panic.

“R-r-rin-chan, I don’t think I can do this!” Hanayo says in alarm, turning to face Rin.

“It’s okay, Kayochin! That’s why Rin’s here, nya!” Rin quickly opens the gate to stand behind Hanayo. She’s gentle, helping Hanayo position her hands around the bat correctly. “Swing like this… Okay?”

“O-okay,” Hanayo says.

“Rin will help you.”

“Okay.”

“Here comes the ball, nya!” Rin cries, her hands on top of Hanayo’s. And Hanayo’s arms move, swing, under Rin’s direction–and the ball hits the bat, flying into the air and rolling back towards the pitching machine.

“There you go!”

Hanayo’s awestruck. “We did it, Rin-chan!”

Rin laughs. “ _You_ did it!” She takes her hands off the bat to hug Hanayo around the waist. “Try again, nya! Rin is right here if you need.”

With Rin by her side, it’s easier. Hanayo manages to hit three more of the balls, and that’s enough for her. She  _did it_ , she did it even though she knew she couldn’t, and Rin is there smiling and laughing right by her side.


	3. NicoRinPana - Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for tozoku on tumblr

It’s quiet in the club room after school. There’s the occasional excited chatter of girls walking by, or the doors across the hall being opened or closed, but for the most part it’s a place Nico can be alone with her thoughts. As much as she doesn’t want to admit it, she’s graduating soon, and she’ll have to leave this room, her sanctuary, behind.

More pressing than the room, however, is the frantic turmoil she feels whenever she thinks about leaving μ’s. The thought of having to abandon the people who are now her only real friends makes her sick, makes her angry, makes her want to lay her head on the table and cry. They’re part of her family, her idol family, and it is so very important that Nico can barely imagine life without them.

There’s a sudden clatter outside, and the door to the club room is flung open before Nico has a chance to react, a tangle of bright color and the dark blue of Otonokizaka’s uniforms tumbling into the room. Instinctively, Nico jumps out of her chair into a defensive standing position.

“Nico-chan! We looked everywhere, but we couldn’t find you!” Hanayo exclaims, breathless.

“Rin told you she’d be here!” Rin shouts, throwing her arm across Hanayo’s shoulders. “Look!” She pushes a bundle of red and white and pink into Nico’s arms. “Rin wanted to get Nico flowers, nya!”

Hanayo fidgets in the doorway. “A-ah, I tried to tell her about flower language, but… you know Rin-chan…”

“It’s okay!” Rin insists. “They’re all really pretty! Red and pink are good colors for Nico!”

Nico stands there stunned, remembering at the last second that she needs to take the bouquet. “Y-you guys,” she says, admiring it. Anemones, carnations, roses, sweet peas. All her favorite colors, and arranged beautifully, likely thanks to Hanayo’s discerning eye.

“You taught Rin lots about being an idol! And you made Kayochin soooooo happy, so Rin wants to thank you too!”

“R-rin-chan!” Hanayo stutters, her cheeks tinging with pink. “Though… Thank you, Nico. I feel really happy being with you, especially after all you’ve done for us. I’d never thought I would meet someone who knew as much about idols as me…”

“H-hmm! Of course I deserve flowers. I’m the best, Nico!” Nico says, holding back tears.

“I’m so glad you like them,” Hanayo says. “Promise that… After you graduate, when you become a really popular idol, you won’t forget about us.” She begins to sniffle, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“No, don’t cry! Today’s not a sad day!” Rin’s lip trembles. “If you cry, then… Then Rin has to cry too.”

Nico places the flowers on the table and pulls both Hanayo and Rin into a hug so they won’t see her cry. “You _guys_ ,” she says, her head against a shoulder, her arms tight around them. “I’d never forget you. An idol… always has her family.”

Tonight, she’ll place the flowers in a vase in her room, a splash of bright color as a reminder of where she’s been. And as an idol, someday, maybe, she’ll come back to a thriving Otonokizaka to show the students an important piece of the school’s history. And even when they separate, she knows her μ’s family will always be right by her side.

Through her tears, Nico smiles.


	4. Nozomi/Eli - Fairy Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for xi-wangmu on tumblr

Nozomi doesn’t show it easily when she’s sad. She doesn’t cry, or like to talk about it. It’s a carefully constructed facade she’s perfected over her whole life. But after spending so long by her side, Eli knows. She knows right away from the way Nozomi walks, or the slight difference in her smile.

“What’s wrong?” she asks when Nozomi slides open her door and collapses on her bed.

Nozomi’s quiet for a long time. “I don’t really know,” she says. So Eli decides she’ll hold Nozomi, until she feels better.

It’s late afternoon when Eli wakes, Nozomi’s arms around her waist and Nozomi’s breathing steady against her back. Eli rolls herself over, tucking her face into Nozomi’s shoulder.

“Elicchi,” Nozomi says sleepily.

“Mmm. How are you feeling…?”

“I had a dream. About you.”

“Yeah?”

“You were a princess, and I was coming to rescue you.” Nozomi snuggles into Eli. “Everyone kept saying I couldn’t, because I’m not a prince.”

“What happened?”

“You woke me up.”

“Oh.” Eli chuckles a little. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Nozomi says, and kisses the top of Eli’s head.

 

The student council room is one of Eli’s favorite places, somewhere she’s used to doing all her thinking and problem-solving. It’s also frequently one of the only places she ends up alone with Nozomi, the two of them committing themselves to all the finer details and dirty work of the student council’s duties. Sometimes Eli even prefers to be there, because it means no one else will bother her.

“I’ve been thinking about fairy tales lately,” Nozomi says, absently shuffling her tarot deck. 

“From your dream?” Eli asks, stamping the hundredth club permission form with approval.

“Mmm. I didn’t see how it ended, but it was nice to have something like that with two girls.” She starts to lay out a spread of cards on the table. “It’s nice to have fairy tales. To have something you believe in, right?” Nozomi smiles, a little sadly. “I wish, when I was little, that there were fairy tales about people like me.”

Eli looks up. “You know, it’s never too late to make one.”

“I want…” She looks thoughtful, her eyes distant. “A story about two girls. Two princesses who fall in love. They meet in a beautiful garden, and it’s the only way they can be together.”

“That’s sad, isn’t it…”

“No, no. Fairy tales always have their happy ending.” She pauses. “Maybe they get married in the garden they first met in, many years ago.”

Eli smiles. “You know, I think I’d like that.”

 _Garden of Glass_  
Composition by Nishikino M.  
Lyrics by Toujou N. & Ayase E.


	5. Reisen/Youmu - Keeping a Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for nulldriver on tumblr

The sky is pink, late afternoon sunlight casting a golden glow over the forest. The shadows of the bamboo are long against Eientei, forming a series of dark, narrow lines against its hallways. It’s Reisen’s favorite time of day, the last stretch of sunlight before the sky goes blue and the stars come out. Usually, it’s early enough that the earth rabbits are all still asleep, and won’t bother her. Often, it’s the only time she has to herself, on her way back home after her medicinal deliveries. But sometimes, like tonight, it’s her chance to spend time with her few close acquaintances outside Eientei.

“These should be all set,” Youmu says, placing her trowel down at the edge of the garden. Her ghost half bobs alongside her as she stands up.

“It smells terrible,” Reisen says.

“It should. Foxglove is poisonous.” Youmu’s busying herself by tying her twin swords onto her back. “Not to your masters, or to mine, or to any stronger youkai, really. But for you, and me, and humans…”

“At least it’ll keep the other rabbits out of our herbs,” Reisen sighs. She’d originally called Youmu over to figure out who or what was eating Eirin’s medicinal plants, but, as she and Eirin had both suspected, it was likely the earth rabbits that live alongside them. Seeing the look on Youmu’s face, she clarifies, “Tewi’s the only smart one out of all of them, and we know it isn’t her.”

“I see." 

There’s a short pause. "The garden, um, looks a lot nicer now,” Reisen says. “I like the color you added.”

Youmu looks genuinely stunned. “Thank you,” she says, bowing slightly. “It’s my duty as Hakugyokurou’s gardener to keep things beautiful as well as functional. I’m glad you appreciate it.”

“Could you bring more flowers next time? If it’s not too much trouble,” Reisen adds hurriedly.

“Well… Most of the flowers we have in the Netherworld either won’t thrive up here, or… Many of them are Konpaku family secrets. I’m, um, the only person left who knows how to take care of them.” Youmu rocks back and forth slightly on her heels. “But… since it’s you, if you promise to never tell anyone, I might be able to bring you some of the orchids we grow, like this one.” She gestures to the undying blossom tied onto her sword’s sheath.

“Really? Oh, thank you!” Reisen says. 

“They’ll be a bit of work, but I’m sure you’re capable.” Youmu smiles shyly.

Reisen can hardly believe it. She thanks Youmu again before they part, the sun setting over Eientei and its now-colorful garden.


	6. Eirin & Kaguya - Precious Treasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for lorkhantheman on tumblr
> 
> i say this every time, i dont care if you read this as platonic or romantic, i tag it as platonic because that's how i see it but as long as you get how much they care about each other anything's cool with me

i.  
Eirin’s seen hundreds of royal ceremonies, and they never get any less boring. She hates to admit it, but the degree of formality and solemnity in what should be joyful just makes her tired. Today will be just like all the rest: the presentation of the newest princess to the people of the Lunar Capital will go perfectly and smoothly and without any hint of emotion.

Eirin holds the baby, gently rocking her arms back and forth. This child doesn’t know what’s happening, doesn’t know how important she will be to Luna.

Eirin smiles down at her, and she smiles back.

ii.  
They name her Kaguya. Princess of the night, royalty of the moon, precious little girl. She is Eirin’s student, the first since Toyohime and Yorihime graduated from her teachings. She’s inquisitive, and smart, and gifted with the power over eternity.

“You can really make any medicine?” she asks one day, when Eirin’s showing her how to make simple drugs.

“Of course.”

“Any at all? Even ones that should be impossible?”

“Nothing is impossible. I would only need the correct ingredients.”

“Hmmm,” Kaguya says. She returns to working on her potion, and doesn’t ask again.

iii.  
Kaguya is older now, old enough to become restless and rebellious. She comes to Eirin’s room at night, determination in her eyes.

“You need to go back to your quarters,” Eirin tells her gently.

“I don’t want to. I want to be here.”

Eirin relents, lets Kaguya curl up by her side. She clings to Eirin in her sleep, her face peaceful and soft. Eirin has to wonder what she’s dreaming of.

She hopes it’s something good.

iv.  
“The Hourai Elixir,” Kaguya says. “The book says it’s impossible, but I know we could do it together.”

“Is this really what you want, Princess?” Eirin isn’t ready for the answer she already knows is coming.

“Yes.”

“…As you wish.”

v.  
The court decides to only hold Kaguya responsible, since she is young and needs to understand her wrongdoings. Eirin begs to go with her, to her exile on Earth, but her position in the Lunar Capital forbids it. “We need you here,” they say.

 _But she needs me too_ , Eirin wants to yell. She wants to demand that she accompany Kaguya, since she’s just as culpable for creating the Elixir.

She doesn’t want to be alone. She doesn’t want Kaguya to be alone.

vi.  
Under a bright moon, under a dark sky blanketed in stars, Eirin Yagokoro touches the earth for the first time.

It’s impure, as she’d expected. It is far from a perfect land, but there’s something uniquely charming about it, something Luna doesn’t have.

Kaguya looks the same as always, long black hair and round pretty face. “Eirin,” she says warmly, closing the distance between them, wrapping her arms around Eirin the way she always used to. It’s been so long, but Eirin melts into the familiarity of Kaguya’s embrace like it’s only been a day.

“I came to bring you back,” Eirin says, stroking Kaguya’s hair.

Kaguya freezes, stiffens. “No. No. I don’t want to go,” she whispers. “I can’t. I can’t go back.”

And it’s then that Eirin knows without a doubt that she would do anything for this girl.

vii.  
Years and years later, Eirin wakes by Kaguya’s side, as she always does. It’s early morning, the birds beginning to sing outside, the earth rabbits stirring in the hallways. An ordinary day in Eientei, just like any other.

Eirin gently brushes Kaguya’s hair away from her sleeping face. The poor girl deserves a rest, after what happened last night; a human and youkai breaking into their home to confront Eirin about her sealing off the earth. Eirin can’t be too careful when it comes to full moons, but it seems the rest of Gensokyo doesn’t share her feelings.

It doesn’t matter. Kaguya is safe now. After all, everything was for her, the most precious treasure in Eirin’s world.


	7. Eiki/Komachi - Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for dlartistanon on tumblr

“Morning, Shiki-sama!”

Komachi’s voice is unexpectedly loud in the dead air of Higan, her dress fluttering in the gentle breeze while she waves her arms enthusiastically.

“Good morning,” Eiki replies. “I trust you’re ready?”

“Yep! Just gotta hop in the boat and we’ll head up to Gensokyo.”

Eiki’s only ridden across the Sanzu with Komachi a few times. None were quite like this, with Komachi in a straw hat and a sundress and, oh  _no_ , a little wildflower tucked through her dress’s top button hole. She looks… cute. Eiki herself feels a bit overdressed, but it doesn’t matter. It’s part of her duty as the Enma to maintain proper attire at all times, even if her subordinate -  _companion_ , she reminds herself, today Komachi is her  _companion_ \- has decided to dress down for the occasion.

“It’ll only take a minute,” Komachi says, steering the boat with her scythe. “Um, you can sit, if you like.”

“I’ll stand.” Eiki runs her thumb along her Rod of Remorse. “You’ve arranged a quiet place for us, correct?”

“Yep! We’ll be going somewhere no one else really goes, but it’ll be nice. Plus, whenever somebody living sees me, they usually think I’m there to take them to you, so they tend to leave pretty quickly.”

“…I see.”

They travel across the foggy river in silence, balancing at opposite ends of Komachi’s boat. When they reach the shores of Gensokyo, Komachi finally speaks again. “Here we are, Shiki-sama.” She holds out her hand, offering her assistance to get off the boat, as she always does.

Eiki takes it. “…We’re not working right now. You may call me Eiki.”

“Oh! Huh… Alright, Eiki.” It sounds strange and foreign to both of them, judging by the way Komachi stumbles over the name.

The place Komachi’s brought her is a wide open field, with tall wildflowers and a view of Youkai Mountain in the far-off distance. The sky is perfectly blue and cloudless, the grass lush and green. Eiki supposes it’d be a much better vacation spot if not for the Sanzu flowing directly behind where she stands. No matter. It’s better if it’s quiet.

“Komachi, I’m very pleased you managed to find a place like this, but… What did you plan to do here?”

“We could just sit. And talk.” Komachi shrugs, shifts from side to side. “I heard that sometimes humans who do this kind of thing like to just sit and stare into each other’s eyes.”

“Are you proposing we do that?” Eiki feels her face heat up despite herself.

“Um, if you want to. The best way to judge someone’s by looking into their eyes a long time, right? At least, I think it is.”

“Objectively, no.” Eiki chews her lip. “The best way to judge someone is through complete impartiality. That is why I exist.”

“Yeah, but, Eiki, you judge people after they die. I mean judging them when they’re alive. Like, getting to know them, deciding if you want to be their friend. Humans have short lives. They don’t want to spend half a year weighing past sins without even knowing someone.”

“Komachi,” Eiki says, in the voice she uses when she needs a moment to think, and Komachi nods and goes silent.

Eiki knows everything about Komachi already. She knows the weight of Komachi’s soul, and where she’ll go after her far-off shinigami death. She knows Komachi likes to tell bad jokes, and sometimes sticks her nose into places she doesn’t belong. She knows Komachi’s favorite color, her favorite food, even the position she sleeps in. But when she thinks about it, Komachi must know almost nothing about her.

“All right,” Eiki says. “I suppose… This isn’t what I am used to. You understand.”

“That’s okay,” Komachi says, grinning as she takes Eiki’s hands in her own once again. “We have time.”


	8. Satori & Okuu - Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for rabbiteclair on tumblr

Satori notices something is different when she’s leaving out food for the ravens. In all the years they’ve lived in her mansion, she’s provided them with food and shelter, and they’ve demanded little more. They nest in the rafters, plucking coins and jewelry out of the house and off the streets of Former Hell. She enjoys their distant companionship, the flutter of their wings, their calls and cries and songs echoing through the hallways.

She sets two plates of raw meat down on the floor, and steps back to allow the birds to descend. In minutes they’ve made quick work of their meal, clicking at each other and hopping around. When they’ve had their fill they caw and scatter, leaving nothing but scraps of bloody meat and a couple feathers.

One bird stays behind, staring up at Satori inquisitively. “Hmm? Go on,” she says.

The raven chirps, a long series of clicks. Satori kneels down and strokes the bird’s head. Seems that she hasn’t eaten.

“You’re late,” Satori says. “It’s all gone.”

The raven caws, tilting her head and flapping her wings. She doesn’t understand. Satori sighs, and murmurs, “Come here. Come on,” and makes her way back out to the kitchen.

“This is all I have,” she explains, setting a chunk of fish onto the counter for the bird. It was meant to be a treat for the cats, but no matter. Satori will just divide the remaining pieces smaller than usual. “Here you are.”

And what she hears in response is clearly defined gratitude.

 _Thanks!_  the raven thinks, tearing into the fish with her beak. 

Satori’s stunned. “Hold on. One moment, I… you can talk? You understand me?”

The bird looks up at her with beady black eyes, and caws out loud.  _Yeah_. She returns to pulling at the meat and swallowing it down.

“I, well, this is,” Satori says, tripping over her words. This has never happened with one of her birds before. The raven must be becoming a youkai, or already one, or… “We’ll talk when you’ve finished eating.”

 

The raven’s name is Utsuho. It’s the closest approximation of her bird name that Satori could come up with, but Utsuho seems to be happy about it. She’s been able to understand Satori’s speech for some time now, but is fairly new to thinking in words rather than pictures and instincts. With her permission, Satori gently ties a small green ribbon around her leg, to quickly differentiate her from the other birds. And Utsuho takes up a new place to nest in Satori’s study, proud that she’s special, proud to be herself.

Months later, when she tumbles off her perch and onto the ground as a human-shaped youkai, Satori simply laughs and helps her up. “I knew you’d transform eventually,” she says.

Utsuho makes a tiny squeak, and then manages her very first words: “Satori-sama!”

Satori has never been happier.


	9. Sakuya & Meiling - Keeping a Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for shishido-shiho on tumblr, who also requested trans themes

Sakuya doesn’t take up much space. All she really needs is a bed, and a place to store her spare clothes. She’s been that way since she was small, since the very first day Meiling took her in. Even now, years later, she’s content to have the smallest room in the mansion to call her own, despite her new high status as chief maid.

Meiling understands, but she curses it nonetheless. She has to hunch over to fit through the doorway, and her head touches the ceiling of the room itself. Still…

“What did you need me for, Sakuya-san?”

“Ah,” Sakuya says, placing her neatly-folded set of pajamas onto her bed and rising to her feet. “Close the door, please.” Meiling does, a questioning look on her face. “I, um. I wanted to ask you…” She’s suddenly shy, twisting her fingers together. “When you went to that youkai doctor. Would they see me…?”

“I… Well. Huh. You’re a human, right… I guess she treats humans too. I dunno. Probably?”

“Mmm…” Sakuya turns away, her eyes down. This nervousness is unlike her. “You must have noticed… My body–my  _voice_ –”

“Oh.” Meiling nods. “Yeah, it’s cracking, right?”

“I don’t know what else to do,” Sakuya says, and she seems so small and vulnerable that it’s one of the rare times Meiling’s reminded that this girl, this child, is still so young. Twelve or thirteen, maybe. Humans are so fragile, and she’s no exception. “Ojousama must know by now… But I don’t think it’s something I could ask of her.”

“I’ll take you,” Meiling says. “Don’t worry, okay? I’ll say I’m taking you shopping with me. The youkai doctor’s not too far from the village, so…”

“I can use my power if need be,” Sakuya nods, and she’s back to her usual stoic self.

 

The doctor is hard to find, her elaborate house sprawling in the middle of the mazelike Bamboo Forest. Meiling learned the hard way last time that it’s impossible to find by flying over the top of the forest, leaving them no choice but to wander until they stumble upon the mansion. Sakuya asks for the doctor at the door, and Meiling chooses to wait outside. Yagokoro treated her well when she was injured, and Meiling has no doubts that the doctor will do the same for Sakuya. And if not, well, Sakuya can certainly hold her own in a fight.

She doesn’t have to wait long. Sakuya emerges after just a few minutes, though whether the visit was actually that short or if it was due to Sakuya’s powers, Meiling can’t say. “I’m ready to leave whenever you are.”

“She give you something?” Meiling nods at the bag Sakuya’s clutching tightly. 

“Just some medicine to stop what’s happening to me now. I hope.” Sakuya closes her eyes. “She said if it works correctly I can come back and get estrogen.”

“Huh. Pretty good, then?”

“Yes.” Sakuya takes off, shooting into the sky. “We should get home soon,” she calls over her shoulder.

They fly together in silence until they’re out of the forest, when Sakuya suddenly speaks again. “Meiling.”

“Yeah?”

“…Thank you for this.”

“Oh, it’s no problem!” Meiling beams.

“I mean. Not just regarding today.” Sakuya pauses, considering her words. “I am quite glad you assumed I was female from the beginning, when I first arrived at the mansion. It saved me a great deal of trouble when I had no words to express what was wrong." 

Meiling’s taken aback. "Oh, Sakuya-san, don’t worry! It’s, um, I’m just glad it worked out, and that you’re happy, you know?”

Sakuya smiles gently, her fingers curling around her pocketwatch. “Right… Thank you, Meiling.”

“My pleasure, Sakuya-san.”


End file.
